WHy did the government of the US refused to become involved in the Rwandan genocide, but did intervence a few years later in Kosovo?
Didn't one involve US-Russia and the other did not?
I personally felt helpless in the Rwandan situation. I didn't understand the people or their motives. In addition, Western involvement in Africa has not been very successful.
However, I could relate to the Kosovo people, and contributed money to help a large family of refugees settle here.
The reasons behind the US government's decision not to become involved in the Rwandan genocide, but later intervene in Kosovo, can be attributed to several factors:
1. Geopolitical Interests: During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the United States had relatively limited geopolitical interests in the region, compared to the Balkans where Kosovo is located. At that time, Rwanda had limited strategic value to the United States, whereas the Balkans had a long history of ethnic tensions and geopolitical significance due to its proximity to Western Europe and its connection to the wider Yugoslav conflicts.
2. Lack of Public Awareness and Pressure: The Rwandan genocide occurred at a time when the international community, including the US government, had limited knowledge of the severity and scale of the violence unfolding. The media coverage and public awareness of the crisis were insufficient to generate significant pressure on the US government to intervene.
3. Lack of Political Will: Following the Somalia mission in 1993, where US soldiers were killed in a peacekeeping operation, there was a reluctance within the US government to commit troops to complex and risky foreign interventions. This sentiment was amplified considering the challenging conditions and high levels of violence in Rwanda during that period.
Conversely, the intervention in Kosovo in 1999 can be attributed to several factors that differed from the situation in Rwanda:
1. Strategic Importance: The Balkans, including Kosovo, had historical and strategic significance due to its location in Europe. The conflict in Kosovo had the potential to destabilize the region and threaten US interests, including NATO and European security.
2. Public Awareness and Pressure: In the case of Kosovo, there was more extensive media coverage and public awareness of the conflict, which led to greater international pressure on governments to intervene and prevent further atrocities.
3. NATO's Involvement: The United States, as a member of NATO, was committed to upholding its collective security obligations. NATO conducted a military intervention in Kosovo, aiming to protect civilians, enforce a ceasefire, and create conditions for a peaceful solution.
It is important to note that these are general factors that influenced the US government's decisions, and each case can have additional complexities and unique circumstances.